UNDERSTANDING THE TRADITION OF EASTER

With curiosity and a little bit of apprehension, a group of 10 international students gathered Thursday night to experience an Easter tradition in America: dyeing eggs.

Dipping their hands into mugs of dye, the students quickly discovered the fun of coloring eggs and then hiding them. Some had dyed eggs before, others had no recollection of an Easter holiday since it's not celebrated in their native country.

The 10 students represented the Netherlands, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and the United States. The Culture Junction group meets each Thursday throughout the semester at the Baptist Student Center at Southeast Missouri State University to learn more about international cultures.

Some students, like Elicia Dowdy of Hayti, Mo., painstakingly drew circles and designs on the white eggshell then dipped it into a dye. The areas with her designs didn't attract the color, leaving a Batik-like pattern.

Yasushi Otaki of Japan dipped an egg in a yellow-green dye then dropped pink dots onto the background, which also had a design of concentric circles.

Suzanne Vannes of the Netherlands finished up a tie-dyed egg started by Denise Lincoln, who directs the Culture Junction program. Vannes also colored several other eggs and added stickers or decals before finishing her designs.

As the group sat around the table, they talked about Easter traditions at home and how American families celebrate the holidays. As the group prepared to hid plastic eggs, Vannes' memories returned.

"There's a golden egg," she said. "And a person has to find it, with a prize. And we'd have breakfast with the eggs. I remember my grandparents came once and brought all these things you set the eggs in."

Marilu Muniz of Mexico said her family hadn't ever had an egg hunt, but they did observe Easter. Muniz's mother told stories about her childhood and how Easter always meant the children would get new clothes.

"She liked it because it meant a new dress and shoes and lots of food," Muniz said.

Sachi Imuta of Japan likes the American holiday, especially all the candy treats. "Chocolate is everywhere," she said.

She bought a package of marshmallow-filled chocolate eggs and sent them home to Japan so her family could enjoy them. "I haven't tried them yet," she said.

While Imuta thinks the holiday is a fun celebration, Otaka thinks it's still a bit strange.

In Japan "we know that the Western culture celebrates but we don't know what it's about exactly," he said. But after five years in the United States, he's found that answer.

Some American Christmas traditions have taken root in Japan, but Easter traditions haven't caught on. Nozamo Ozaki, also of Japan, dyed two Batik-like eggs that shared the Japanese words for Easter: born again festival.